Apparatus for waterproofing sized sheets.



s. ELLTOTT. APPARATUS FOR WATERPROOFING SIZED SHEETS.

APPLICATION fiLED DEC. 28, 1914- 'llzz'fizesses 79 3m. I (Q i s. ELLIOTT.

APPARATUS FOR WATERPROOFING SIZED SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. 1914.

1,230,068. Patented June 12, 1917.

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I Q i S. ELLIOTT. APPARATUS FOR WATERPROOFING SIZED SHEETS.

" APPLICATION mm n:c.2a. m4. 1,230,068. PatentedJune12,1917.

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' @MMZ STERLING ELLIOTT, or nnwron, MASSACHUSETTS.

AIPARATUS FOR WATERPROOFING- SIZED SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 12, 1917.

Application filed December 28, 1914. Serial No. 879,282.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, STERLING Enuoa'r, acitizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inApparatus for Waterproofing Sized Sheets, of which the following is aspecification. A This invention relates to an apparatus for treatingsized sheet material such as papersheets for rendering the samewaterproof. While having other and more general fields of usefulness,the invention is well adapted for Waterproofing thin delicate sheets ofpaper such as are used for stencil-sheets.

According to the invention, the sized sheets held on suitablesupporting-frames, are exposed to the action of formaldehyde gas in aclosed housing for a substantial period of time, thereby modifying thesizing to impart a waterproof quality thereto.

Before removing the sheets from the confined'housing, they aredeodorized, at least to such an extent that the odor therefrom will notbe obnoxious; and, according to my invention, this result may beaccomplished by displacing the formaldehyde gas with air, although theprocess may be accelerated by generating in, or introducing into thehousing, another gas or fume, such, for instance, as the fume of alcoholor ammonia. The displacement or removal of the formaldehyde gas is notonly a desirable, but a necessary step, in order that the housing may beclearedto permit a person to enter and remove the treated sheets andplace new sheets in position for treatment; an 1 operation which wouldbe probably fatal unless the formaldehyde gas was, to a large extent,removed. The formaldehyde gas may be generated by placing in theconfined housing, a quantity of formaldehyde-com taining substance andthen releasing the gas, and, in order that a predetermined quantity maybe liberated, it is herein proposed to provide a relatively smallcontainer adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of theformaldehyde-containing substance,

which is sufficient for a single charge and then permit the entiresubstance to y1e d its gas. The invention will be more fully understoodfrom the following detail descrip tion taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, an apparatusconstructed in accordance with my invention and adapted for carrying outthe method thereof.

Fig. 2 is an intermediate vertical section. Fig. 3is a fragmentaryelevation showing the lower portion of the apparatus at a side oppgsitethat shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 1s a fragmentary view in sectlon on I line 5-5 of Fig. i; and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the electric switch control.

'A housing adapted to receive a plurality of paper sheets and to betightly closed, thus to form a confined chamber, is indicated generallyat 10, this preferably consisting of a skeleton structural frame-workindicated at 11, arranged with panes of glass 12, at the sides thereofto permit convenient inspection of the contents and having its top andbottom closed by other suitable structural sheet, or plate material 13.This housing is provided at its front with two doors 14, 15, which areshown as arranged to close the en tire front, said doors being hinged atopposite sides of the housing, as seen at 16, and having adjacenthand-holds 17 for opening and closing them. These doors are adapted tobe clamped tightly in closed position to prevent the'escape of the gasesor fumes by clamp-bolts 18, pivoted at 19 to theframework and equlppedwith nuts 20, adapted for hand-turning and engaging lugs 21 on thedoors. These doors are also equipped with glass panes 12.

The paper sheets S, to be-treated are shown as suspended from suitableframes 22, these frames being of a type adapted to hold a large numberof sized sheets properly spaced apart. These sheet-holding frames,

. ing-means, here shown as an electric-heater 25, amociated therewithand adapted to receive electric energy from a circuit having a switch26.

At a convenient point, Shown as onlthe outside of the housing, I arrangea small tank 27, and from said tank, a pipe 28 exshield this lamp withguard-plates 33, at-

each side thereof.

At a convenient point, shown as on the side of the housing, is mountedsuitable switch-mechanism, indicated at 34, adapted to control thecurrent supply from leads 35, so that it may be directed for heatil'igthe container 24, or operating the blower, and operating the lamp, atwill.

Adjacent the bottom of this lumsing, I mount a series, shown as six oflarge horizontally disposed pipes 36, having perforations 37,therelhrough, opening downward into the housing. These pipes extend fromfront to back of the housing and their ends are-opened to the atmosphereexcept as closed by the-slide-valves to be now described.

These valves consist of opposite slides 11 39, fitted to slide-ways 40,at the bottoms of the two doors. These slides have passages 41,therethrough, registering in one position with the pipes, while theslides in another position close the pipes, the right hand slide in Fig.1 being shown in pipe-closing position, and the left-hand slide in openposition. At the back of the housing a single slide 42, is fitted inslide-ways 43, and extended across the entire back which is adapted tocontrol all of the pipes, it having a series of passages 44 adapted toregister with the pipeopenings 45,-when the slide is moved to the. rightfrom the position shown in Fig. 3. For conveniently operating this slideit may be connected by a pivoted link 46, and rockarm 47, with a shaft48 journaled in the base and extending to the front of the housing, withan operating-arm 49 atthe front, arranged conveniently for the operator.

Extending across the housing, adjacent the top thereof, but spacedtherefrom, is fixed a horizontal perforated plate 50, the perforations51, through this plate, being preferably of a combined area,substantially equal to that of the perforations 37, so that no violentdraft or strong air-current can be created through the housing. Thiscauses the air to be equally distributed over the entire space so thatall sheets of paper will be equally affected. The top of the housing hasconnected thereto a pipe 52, leading to a blower 53, which may beelectrically operated, and controlled by a circuit having a switch 54,whereby thereis created a suction up through the housing. This pipe maybe form of link and rod connection 5!.

In use, and in carrying out the method of the present invention, thehousing islilled with the paper sheets arranged on the series of frames22, these sheets being coated and impregnated with glue or like suitablesizing material. The pot 24 has placed therein a quantity of substanceadapted, when heated, to liberate and,..L'ive oil a gas,-such asformaldehyde gas: for this purpose. the liquid commercially known asformalin' is suitable, and for a housing of convenient work able sizesuch as that shown, a charge of about seven ounces of formalin isrequisite. The slide-valves 38. 39, 42 being closed and also the damper35, and the doors being clamped tight by the clamp-nuts Q0,heatingcnrrent' is applied to the pot Q4, andthe newly liberatedformaldehyde gas is given off to fill the housing and act on the sizedpaper. This action is allowed to continue for a substantial period oftime, in practice usually about three hours, during which time. thecontents of the pot Q4, gradually evaporates nd finally disappearsentirely. ,The sizing III the paper is. during this time, acted on andmodified by the newly liberated formaldchyde rendering it water 'n'oof'and tough. 'lhcrcupon the slides 38. 39, 42, are. moved to open thepipes 36. and the current turned on to operate the blower 53. causes arapid einrulation of air up through the housing to clear out theformaldehyde fumes. this circulation being. however, re-,

strained from too great violence or any considerable blowing action bythe -disposition of the. inlet pipe apertures 3T, which open downwardaway from the direction of the draft and away from the paper sheets inthe housing; further, since, as noted, the exhaust apertures 51 are onlyof about the same total area as the inlet apertures 37, there can be noappreciable draft through the relatively large space of the housing.When the element of time is not important, this air circulation may berelied on to displace the formaldehyde fumes without any other agency,merely by giving sufficient time for the displacing operation tocontinue, so that the remaining fumes will not be too obnoxious. lVhenit is'desired to expedite the operation however, and to run theapparatus at full capacity, I preferably, at the same time that thedisplacing operation by the blower is going on. or after said operationhas continued for a short period of time, deliver a quantity of asuitable volatile liquid, such as alcohol, or, if preferred, ani- Thismonia, into the heated pot 24, by opening the valve 29 from thecontainer 27 of this liquid, which is adapted to receive a smallpredetermined quantity of said liquid. The fumes of such volatile liquidquickly modify, and to a large extent, displace the formaldehyde fumes;thus in a relatively short time, the obnoxious character of the fumesremaining in'the housing is done away with, so that the housing may beopened and the treated paper taken out, and a new charge placed therein.I preferably provide the pot 24 of a size just large enough to receivethe requisite charge for treating one supply of paper. and by keepingthis under observation, as permitted and facilitated by the lamp 31, itcan be readily determined when the generation of formaldehyde gasceases, so that by using the in'strumentalities set forth for clearingout the noxious and deadly fumes, all danger therefrom is avoided.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout de 1.- Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a housingadapted to receive and hold suspended a plurality of sized sheets,

.and to be tightly closed to produce aconfined chamber, means forliberating a quantity of formaldehyde gas in said chamber, and means forcausing a mild circulation of air to said chamber consisting of a blowerhaving a connection through restricted open-,

ings, spaced apart about the top of said chamber, and a series of pipesextended across said chamber adjacent the bottom, opening at their endsto the atmosphere, and having correspondingly restricted openings spacedapart throughout their length, means for closing said pipe, and meansfor closing said blower connectlon at will, substantially as described.

2. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a housing adapted toreceive and hold suspended a plurality of sized sheets, and to betightly closed to produce a confined chamber, means for liberating aquantity of formaldehyde gas in said chamber. and means for causing amild circulation of air through said chamber, consisting of a blowerhaving a connection through restrictsaid chamber, and a series of pipesextending across said chamber adjacent an opposite side thereof withcorrespondingly restricted openings facing toward the adjacent side,

means for closing said pipes, and means for rality of sheets to betreated and to betightly closed, a relatively small container havingprovision to be heated and placed within the chamber so as to give offgaseous vapor into said chamber when the contents thereof,

is heated, and means arranged outside of the chamber and extendedthereinto for deliver-ing a predetermined quantity of a volat1le liquidto said container, substantiallyas described. i 4. Apparatus of the kindrality of sheets to be treated and to be tightly closed, a relativelysmall container having provision to be heated and placed \vithinthechamber so as to give off gaseous vapor into said chamber when thecontents thereof is heated, and means arranged outside of the chamberand extended thereinto for delivering a predetermined quantity of avolatile liquid to said container, said means including a closing valve.v

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STERLING ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

B. J. NOYES, H. B. DAVIS.

described, comprising a chamber adapted to rccelve a plu 55 ed openingsspaced apart, about one side of 1

